Journal box



M. L. HARGER JOURNAL, BOX

Filed March 61957 Jan. 7, 1941.

INVENTOR mg@ d/@5.,

' ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 7, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICE Y JOURNAL Box a. corporation of Ohio s Application March 6, 1937, Serial No. 129,423

6 Claims.

My invention relates to journal-boxes for vehicles, particularly to journal-boxes for railway cars, and consistsin means for preventing the escape of lubricant from such boxes and for excluding dust and dirt, while permitting ventila tion of the boxes.

Ordinarily, the wheels and axles of railway cars are rigidly integrated, each axle having a wheel mounted'on each of its opposite ends.

l0 And in known way the axles are continued outward from the wheels, to provide journals.' In assembly, the journals extend into journal-boxes embodied in the trucks of the car, and in such boxes each journal is engaged from above by a bearing block.

The usual journal-box consists in a housing formed of cast or pressed steel, and the housing, `as embodied in one of the trucks of the car, supports the bearing block and encloses it with a 2o body of waste saturated with lubricating oil. The end wall of the housing includes an opening through which thejournal extends, and essentially such opening is of larger diameter than the body of the journal extending through. Considerable diftlculty has been experienced in preventing lubricant from escaping through such opening, and in preventing dust, rain, snow, and other foreign material from entering the journalbox. My inventionlies in improved and particularly effective means to these ends.

By way of illustration, and not limitation, I shall describe the invention as it is embodied in a journal-box of the sort described in United States Letters Patent No. 1,764,017, granted on my application June 17, 1930.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. I is a view in vertical section of such a journal-box, showing fragmentarily an axle and wheel of a railway car in assembly therewith; Fig. II is a view, partly in vertical section and partly inside elevation, of oil-retaining and dust-excluding means which are embodied in the journal-box structure of Fig. I lin accordance with the invention; and

Fig. III is a fragmentary view, on the plane of section of Fig. I, illustrating in greater detail a particular refinement in the construction of the box. f

The journal-box consists in a cast-steel housing I adapted in known way to be assembled with the side -frame of the usual car-supporting truck. On an axle 2 a wheel W is rigidly integrated, and such axle 2, as usual, continues outward from the wheel in a journal 2a. The journal extends into the journal-box,` through an opening 20 formed in the inner end wall Ia of the housing I, while the outer end wall of the housing is open at I6, and, as usual, a cover or lid (not shown) is provided for normally closing such opening.

It will be understood that the journal-box meets the Associated American Railway Standards, and,while I say that the box is formedof cast steel, I have in mind that it may be formed of steel plates, properly fashioned in forming dies, and rigidly integrated, say by welding. And I have also in mind that the box may be inte- 10 grally embodied in the side-frame of a truck, in accordance with a relatively new but growing practice in the art.

As shown in Fig. I, the usual bearing 2l and wedge-plate 2in are interposed between the sur- 15 face of journal 2a and the upper wall of housing I. When the car is in motion, the journal 2a rotates in unison` with the traction wheel W, and within the limits of the usual horizontal play existing between the bearing and the journal, the 20 journal axially reciprocates relatively to the journal-box.

-Included in the bottom of the housing I is a well or sump I5 for a supply of lubricating oil, and for the purpose of carrying oil to and dis- 25 tributing it upon the bearing surface of journal 2a, when the car is running, a disc l is'pr'ovided. This disc 'I is rotatable in bearing blocks 8, whichy are mounted in vertical guideways 9, and backed by compressed springs I0. The disc l is mount- 30 .ed beneath the journal with its own axis in parthe bearing surface of the journal 2a. 'I'he oil 40 which drips from the bearing block 2I and journal 2atogether with the oil which is splashed v against the top and side walls of the housing, drains back into the sump I5 beneath.

The journal-box is provided with a false bot- 45 tom 3 above its true bottom 4, and embodies other features of construction with which my present invention is not immedlatelyconcerned. To the extent that such features may be of interest, reference is made to my above-noted patent. 50

Turning to the features in which my present invention is found, it will be perceived that I form integrally with the end wall Ia of the journal-box an annular, inwardly directed lip 2l. The lip 24 extends in uninterrupted continuity 55 As the car travels and as the 35 with the periphery of opening 20 in wall la, and provides a drainage surface 25, which in the assembly cooperates with means presently to be described in preventing the escape of oil from the journal-box.

Upon the journal 2, I rigidly secure arpluralty of oil bailles 26 and 36, and a dust baffle 21. These bailles may be individually fashioned, say of sheet steel, and severally secured to the journal by spot welding, or other suitable means.

Alternately, the bailles may, as shown in this case, be integrally formed with a sleeve portion 23, and assembled as a unit upon thejournal. In any case the baille 21 comprises a'radial flange in this case the flange abuts upon the end of the hub of wheel W, and is spaced from and extends in parallelism with the end wall Ia of the journal-box. The baille 26 comprises a radial flange that extends in a plane parallel to, and inward of, the inner edge of lip 24, while the baillesv 36 comprise flanges (of less radial extent than flange 26) lying within the circumferential drainage surface 25.

As in service the car travels, the several flanges 26, 21, 36 rotate and axially reciprocate in unl,- son with the journal. There is no relative movement or friction between the flanges and the journal, and there is no tendency for the moving parts to draw oil outward from the bearing surface 2a of the journal. The rotating flange 26 comprises a so-called oil-slinger, which intercepts the oil tending to flow outward on the surface of the journal. Such oil, flowing over the surface of the journal into contact with the rotating flange 26, is by centrifugal force thrown outward from the periphery of the flange and against the side walls of housing I, whence it drains back into sump I5.

As in service the rotating journal axially reclprocates relatively to the journal-box, small quantities of oil tend to splash and drip upon the portion 2b of the journal lying outward of baille 26. This oil, which would otherwise escape, is intercepted by the intermediate bailles 36, which intermediate bailles, rotating in unison with baille 26, operate to throw the oil radially outward against the annular surface 25 formed by lip 24`. The oil drains from such surface back into the journal-box.

To enhance the desired flow of oil upon the annular surface 25, the lip 24 is tapered in the lower half of its circumferential extent.v To the same end, I form a plurality of grooves a, b,c, d in the drainage surface 25. The outer groove a is continuous with the periphery of opening 2D, and forms in'the vertical plane of wall Ia a shoulder 25a (Fig. III) tinuity, that. opposes outward escape of oil from surface 25. The other grooves (b, c, d) are inclined to the vertical, in such manner as to produce the desired course of drainage upon the surface 25. As shown, the inclined grooves b, c, d need not be continued throughout the circular extent of the surface 25, but may at their opposite ends terminate below and on opposite sides of the axis of the opening 20. By' virtue of such structure-I prevent the loss of lubricant from the journal-box.

Turning to the question of dust exclusion, it is important to note that the baille 21 is of substantially greater radial extent than the end wall la of the journal-box. The baille 21 carries a cylindrical or tubular portion 28 that extends on common axis with axle 2, and circumferentially overlies the peripheral corner Ib in of uninterrupted conwhich the end wall Ia is integrated with the side walls of the housing I. This cylindrical portion 28, rotating in unison with the wheel W and axle 2, when the car is in motion, comprises a rotating 'guard which effectively excludes dust from the space S between the guard and end wall la, the only avenuethrough which dust or other foreign material may reach opening 20 and enter the journal-box.

At this point mention may be made of the dust guards commonlyused heretofore. They consisted in a disc or plate, ordinarily of metal or Wood, secured at their opposite edges in vertical grooves provided in the end wall of the journalbox. 'I'he plate included a central opening, through which the journal projected with snug running fit. In service the plate remained stationary, save for a slight vertical movement in its supporting grooves. Due to the essential snug engagement of the rotating journal with the plate, frictional heat was generated, and such heat, by raising the temperature of the journal, increased the danger of developing a hot box" Additionally, it was found that the journal axially reciprocating in the opening in the plate, acted as the plunger of a pump, tending to force lubricant outward from the bearing surface .of the journal. Manifestly, the structure of my invention eliminates these objections.

In still further refinement and elaboration of the means for excluding dust and other foreign material from the journal-box, I provide an outer guard that cooperates with the body of the'wheel W. As shown in Fig. I, such outer guard consists in an annular baille 2.9 which lies axially and radially within the rim of wheel W. 'Ihe disk 29 is, in this case, of conical section. It extends in close parallelism with the conical web w of the wheel. and is integrated with the journal-box walls by means of a tubular body portion 30. Otherwise stated, the disk 29 comprises an outwardly flaring continuation of the side walls of the journal-box housing, but it is to be understood that the disk 29 and tubular body portion 30 Amay comprise a separately formed element, or an assembly of separately formed elements, which may be welded or otherwise secured to the wall of the journal-box. Indeed, I contemplate that the dust guard 29, 30 may be independently produced and applied to journalboxes already in service, regardless of the particular form of lubricant devices and oil baffles used in the journal-boxes.

It is important to note that the chamber within the journal-box is not entirely enclosed; on the contrary, it communicates with the outer atmosphere, by way of opening 20 in wall Ia of the box, channels S and H lying between baille 21, 28 and walls I a, 30 of the box, region F located between the hub of the wheel and wall portion 30, channel D extending between dust guard 29 and web w of the wheel, and clearance C opening between the periphery of guard 29 and the nether or inner surface of the rim of wheel W. With the exception of the opening 20, however, the journal-box is closed to the outer atmosphere, it being understood that opening I6 is normally closed by a snugly fitting lid.

As the car travels, the rotating wheel W operates as the impeller of a centrifugal pump upon the body of air in region F and channel D. That is to say, the air in channel D is by friction with the face of rotating web w caused to revolve about the axle 2, in such manner that' the air tends to flow radially outward through the chanapar/,co3

nel D and clearance C, with the consequence .that the air withinv the journal-box is subjected to a moderate suction. 'Ihis suction tends to stabilize atmospheric conditions within the box, and inhibits undesirable circulation of air over the lubricated surface of the journal. And the above-noted tendency of the air to ilow radially outward through channel D produces pressure conditions in the clearance C that oppose the entrance of dust. And it will be understood that yany dust or other foreign material, which should happen to enter the channel D is immediately entrained with the revolving streams of air, and, under the iniiuence` of centrifugal force, returned to the outer atmosphere.

I have said that the air within the journalbox is .advantageously maintained under stable conditions and at sub-atmospheric pressure. There is a qualification to be noted as follows: When the rotating axle 2 reciprocates within the limits of horizontal play, as alluded to above, the journal 2a operates as a plunger, alternately displacing air from the journal-box and sucking it in. Thus it is that the journal-box may be said to inhale andexhale air through the passage 20, S, H, F, D, C, and thisso-calledbreathing of air is valuable in preventing the internal walls .of the boxl from sweating.

One thing more: I propose in some cases to install air-filtering means in the passage extending between the opening 20 in the journal-box and the clearance C. Such filtering means may consist in a pervious gasket of felt, or of cotton or wire fabric. The particular location of the filter in the air passage is not of prime concern; it shall sufiice that the filter be so arranged as to insure that any air entering the journal-box must pass through it. In this case, I show (Fig. II) a pervious gasket 210 on the baille 21, and in the journal-box assembly described this pervious gasket covers the interval between the wall portion 30 of the dust guard and the peripheral edge of the baille 21.

It will be obvious to the engineer and mechanic that various modifications fand* elaborations of the structure described may be made without departing from the essence of the invention dey fined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. l'n a structure of the class described including a journal-box equipped with a dust guard, a traction wheel including a hub, a rim, and a web integrating said rim with said hub, and a journal extending from said wheel into said journal-box; the refinement herein described in which said dust-guard comprises a body extending axially from said journal-box to a radially extending peripheral portion positioned axially and radially within the rim of said wheel and providing a centrifugal passage between said guard and the web and hub of said wheel, said passage establishing communication between the chamber within said journal-box and the open atmosphere, said guard cooperating with said wheel in rotation to produce a condition of subatmospheric pressure within said chamber.

2. In a structure of the class described including a journal-box equipped with a dust guard, a traction wheel including a hub, a rim,l and a web integrating said rim with said hub, a journal extending from said wheel through an opening in the wall of said journal-box. and a baiile and cooperating with such wall of the journalbox in. inhibiting the 'escape of lubricant from the chamber within the box; the refinement herein described in which said dust guard comprises a body extending axially from said journal-box to a peripheral portion extending radially outward. with respect to the axisof said journal and positioned axially and radially within the rim of said wheel` and providing between said guard and the web and hub of said wheel a. passage establishing communication between the outer atmosphere and said opening in the wall of said journal-box, said guard cooperating with said wheel in rotation toproduce acondition of sub-atmospheric pressure within said chamber.

3. A journal-box including in its wall an openripheral shoulder adjacent to the outer edge of such surface and at least one circumferential groove inclined to said shoulder.

5. In a structure of the class described including a journal box equipped with a dust guard, a traction wheel including a hub, a rim, and a web integrating said rim with said hub, and a journal extending from said wheel into said journal box; the refinement herein described in which said dust guard comprises a body extending axially from said journal box to a radially extending peripheral portion substantially parallel with the web of the wheel and positioned axially and radially within the rim of said wheel and providlng a centrifugal passage betweexi said guard and the web and hub of said wheel, said passage establishing communication between the chamber within said journal box and the open atmosphere, said guard cooperating with said wheel in rotation'to produce a condition of sub-atmospheric pressure within said chamber.

6. In a structure of the class described including a journal box equipped with a dust guard, a traction wheel including a hub, a rim, and a web integrating said rim with said hub, a journal extending frorn said wheel through an opening in the wall of said journal box, and a baille extending radially outward fromsaid journal and cooperating with such wall of the journal box in inhibiting the escape of lubricant from the chamber within the box; the refinement herein described in which said dust guard comprises a body extending axially from said journal box to a peripheral portion extending radially outward v MARTIN L. HARGER. 

